A snowboard is a thin, generally hourglass shaped board ridden down a snow-covered slope and/or other section of earth covered in snow. Snowboards are typically 140-165 cm long, although boards for children are as short as 90 centimeters and boards for racers are as long as 215 cm. The typical width of most snowboards is between 24 and 27 cm, although “freestyle” snowboards can typically be as wide as 28 cm to assist with balance while racing snowboards are typically 18-21 cm wide (although some are as narrow as 15 cm). The width is dependant in large part on the rider's foot size since the rider's foot is positioned generally sideways, and the extension of the rider's boot over the perimeter of the board results in unwanted drag of the boot's heel and/or toe portions against the snow. The snowboard's width is conventionally measured at the waist of the board, since the nose and tail widths vary with sidecut and taper. The term “sidecut” refers to the generally symmetrically concave curvature of the snowboard's edges which result in the widths at the tip and tail of the snowboard being greater than the width at its center (or “waist”). This curve aids turning, and affects the snowboard's handling. The curve has a radius that can typically be as short as 5 meters on a child's snowboard or as large as 17 meters on a racer's snowboard. Most snowboards have a sidecut radius of between 8-9 meters.
Snowboards typically comprise a laminated wood core (typically strips of beech, poplar, bamboo or birch glued together) sandwiched between layers of fiberglass. There has been some effort to replace the wooden core with aluminum, composite honeycomb, foam, resin and other materials that exhibit the desired properties of dampening, rebound, strength, flex and reduced weight.
The bottom (or “base”) of the snowboard is typically made of various plastic compositions. A strip of metal, typically steel, runs the length the board on each side. This “edge” produces enough friction to ride on ice, and is used to turn the board towards the left or right.
The snowboard's core is sandwiched on the top and bottom by at least two layers of fiberglass, which adds stiffness and torsional strength to the board. Some snowboards also add carbon and Kevlar stringers for additional elasticity and strength.
The top layer (or “top sheet”) of the snowboard's laminate structure is usually an acrylic which accommodates printed graphics.
Bindings are attached to the snowboard to tightly hold the rider's boots to the deck. The bindings permit the rider to transfer his/her energy to the board. Typically, three or four screws secure the binding directly to the board, although some bindings require the use of only two screws. There are several types of bindings: strap-in, step-in, and hybrid. The strap-in binding holds the foot to the board with two buckle straps: one strapped across the top of the toe area, and one across the ankle area. The step-in binding snaps onto, and engages, the rider's boots. Other bindings combine features of both these types and are well known to snowboarders and those who manufacture snowboards.
A great deal of design effort has been expended on making snowboards more controllable and to provide the rider with a more ergonomic experience.